Global View on World Water Day - Why Waste Water?

The theme for World Water Day 2017 is “Why waste water?” and is in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6.3 to improve water quality by reducing, treating and reusing wastewater.

Global View on World Water Day - Why Waste Water?

The author(s)

Only one in three (34%) Global Citizens express confidence that waste water in their country does not pose a threat to their clean water supply.

Looking ahead one in two (48%) are worried that residential and industrial growth in their country over the next 5 to 10 years will put their clean water supply at risk.

Each year since 1993 on March 22nd the United Nations holds World Water Day as a means of focussing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The theme for World Water Day 2017 is “Why waste water?” and is in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 6.3 to improve water quality by reducing, treating and reusing wastewater.

Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused and global citizens seem very well aware of the problem. Only 34% say they are confident that waste water does not pose a threat to the clean water supply in their country today and 48% say they are worried that residential and industrial growth in their country over the next 5 to 10 years will put their clean water supply at risk.

The countries that express the most confidence (with more than half of their population confident) in current waste water practices include:

Hungary 67%

Germany 60%

Great Britain 52%

Sweden 51%

The countries that express the least amount of confidence (with less than one quarter of their population confident) in current waste water practices include:

Italy 24%

Russia 22%

Turkey 22%

South Korea 21%

Argentina 20%

Mexico 19%

Brazil 17%

Columbia 17%

Serbia 12%

When asked if they are worried that industrial and residential growth in their country will put clean water supply at risk within 5 to 10 years almost half (48%) agreed they were. The countries that express the most concern (with more than half of their population concerned) about the impact of industrial and residential growth on clean water include:

Columbia 69%

Serbia 68%

Argentina 64%

Chile 64%

Peru 63%

Mexico 63%

India 59%

South Africa 58%

Hungary 56%

South Korea 53%

Spain 51%

The countries that express the least amount of concern (with less than 30% of their population concerned) about the impact of industrial and residential growth on clean water include:

Germany 29%

Sweden 29%

Great Britain 29%

Japan 16%

In total 18,070 adults aged 18-64 in the US and Canada, and age 16-64 in all other countries, were interviewed between February 17th – March 3rd 2017. The survey was conducted in 24 countries around the world via the Ipsos Online Panel system.